by Judith Whitehead

Created on: August 07, 2009   Last Updated: August 11, 2009

How to Survive working with women in the workplace

I work closely in a medical office with over 20 woman; they consist of ages ranging from 24 yrs old to 60 years old. This wide range of personalities makes for a most interesting mix through out the day. Hormone levels can range from the very sensitive to the mundane. One never knows what the day will bring.

People work for all kinds of reasons; the biggest reason being for money to sustain themselves. Some work to keep busy and some for the satisfaction. Some people choose to bring their home life to work and share it with others for commiseration. Some choose to escape their home life, and loose themselves in the work day. Women working together must develop a special dance in order to get along with each other and they must delicately approach each other in order not to cause hard feelings when broaching different hot topics of discussion. I have been in the working world since I was 17 years old and have slowly devised these simple rules that make it easier to survive the workplace when working with women.

1. Stay a neutral person; office gossip will always move through a group of women at warp speed. When someone tries to entice you to take sides, stay neutral.

2. When your boss comes in and seems troubled, do not ask what's wrong? Whatever you say can be the wrong thing and it is better to avoid them until they work it off.

3. Don't bring your home problems to work; it makes other people feel uncomfortable and brings their day down as well. I have followed these simple rules during my 30 plus years of working mainly with women. It helps to change "aprons" when entering your office doors. Your productiveness and concentration reduce greatly if you are solving home problems during the day.

4. Don't socialize with the people you work with, this can backfire on you during office hours and you may have said something you could regret later on. The worst mistakes can be said at office "after hour" parties, to coin a phrase, "loose lips sink ships".

And Last but not least, don't stay in a job that you don't feel fulfilled in; look for another

One. Don't look back with regret; we all know life is very short. Wishing you were somewhere else during the work day will only cause sadness.

Learn more about this author, Judith Whitehead.
Click here to send this author comments or questions.